Elizabeth City State University Top Questions

What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

Condrel

Advice I would give myself is to never procrastinate. There are plenty of opportunities out here and it is best if you go and take advantage of it. Never wait at the last minute to get things done; always keep your head up and network with as many people as possible. Networking with professors, students, etc. opens doors for jobs, scholarships, and many more opportunities out there in the big world. Be professional at all times; dress business casual and also communicate effectively. Make sure that you are keeping your head in the books and working on maintaining a strong GPA. Be positive. Stay strong. Never let anybody block you from your destination.

Ashley

I would tell my high school self not to worry over fall semester. I would tell her to calm down and just enjoy making friends, going to sporting events, and completing her assignments. I would encourage her to apply to many scholarships fall semester and deny any loans, so that she will have no college debt when she graduates. I would tell her to take a few interesting classes like swimming and public speaking that teach real life lessons for future success. I would tell he to submit her resumes early to be eligible for workstudy jobs in the fall. I would tell her to save more than you spend and make every penny count. Lastly, I will tell my high school self, that psychology is the right major for you and that you will be happy in your career choice as a therapist. College is four years of finding who you are and the person you will turn out to be is an amazing woman.

Diamond

College has been a great experience for me thus far. I believe choosing to continue my education was one of the best decisions I could make for myself. I would not change the fact that I would make the decision to go to college. I would basically tell myself to remain focused and make sure I do everything to the best of my ability. The main thing I would tell myself is to become involve in any organization that I was capable of. At my university I have realized that being involved in different groups and organizations can play a major role. It is a chance to for you to get to know others. When it came to scholarships many asked for involvement in organizations at school. Another major thing is that you should do much volunteering as possible. Many schools look into that and there are many opportunities for this at colleges and universities. You are getting a chance to help people and it allows you to build relationships with the organization or people you have volunteered for. The key to just about anything is communication. It does not hurt to show others that you exist.

derek

I would tell myself, "Don't be a screw-up" and "pay attention more". When I went through high school, I didn't care. I didn't care about my grades and I, even, gave up on playing football. My father repeated to me many times over, "you only go through high school once. Make the best of it, or you'll regret it" and like most teenagers, I didn't listen. Now being the age, that my father was, at the time of said advice. I come to the conclusion, that he wasn't talking for the sake of hearing himself. He knew what he was talking about. I do regret failing for the sake of failing. I could have done better, if I had just applied myself. Which, has been proven, here at Cape Fear Community College, that I am capable of higher learning. So, with a swift kick to my younger self's backside, I would tell him to "wake up" and give him the same advice that my father gave me twenty some years ago and hopefully, I , won't still be narrow minded.

Chantice

I would telll myself to save as much money, have your priorites together, and make wise dessicions. Many collge students get to college and get broke, by saving and just putting a little money to the side every chance you get you want be broke. I also would say have your priorites together, college is a big difference from high school. If you played sports in high school changes are you are going to want to pursue it in college, college sports its much harder. The coaches dont really care about your school work, they mainly care about you as a team player. There will be plenty of parties, so you dont need to go to every party you hear about, with that said student should always have they priorites together and learn how to balance. Also it is best to make wise desscionis in everything you do, because the least thing you would want to do is regret.

Tiante

If I could go back and talk to my high school self I would say three things one being to stay focused on your work, that is the most important thing, that is your purpose for being there. Your education is your key to a better life and a secure future. Take your studies seriously and never put your work off for anything or anybody. The second thing I would say is dont rush into any relationship if it’s meant to be it will happen. I’m sad to admit that I let love or what I thought was love get in the way of my studies. Last but definitely not least enjoy yourself. You can get your work done and have fun at the same time; you’re in the prime of your life so live it up.

Latoria

If I could go back into high school time... O boy, I would have pushed myself a little more harder and prepared myself for what the future was holding. I would have advised myself on the importance of education and making good grades. Had I known then, I would of pushed myself into taking offered college courses at my high school, with the thought of moving up in life. I would have valued the importance of what school really was all about and that a career starts off with an education.

Erin

I would tell myself to be very prepared. I graduated in Jan. of 2012, so I finished high school a semester early. Instead of taking the spring semester off, I decided to jump straight into college. I do not regret my decision to do so, but I do know I was very unprepared for college. I would tell myself to be ready to make some priority changes...quick! Another thing I've learned while in college is that time management is your best friend; without it, you'll never get anything done. Also, I played volleyball the Fall semester, so I really had to manage my time. Creating a budget would also be a wise decision. Although I am a full time student, I also work part time to pay my bills. So being able to manage my time and money while attending Elizabeth City State University has been a big change. More over, I would give myself a big wake up call, because I wasn't sure what to expect going into college.

Alicia

As you prepare to take on this new world have your eyes wide open to all the resources and opportunities available to you. Stay focused on school and be more organized than you ever have in life. Don't be afraid to ask questions or reach out to your professors, it's their job to help you. Don't use volleyball as an excuse for not doing well because you are better than that. Stay away from the parties and peer pressure, it may seem fun at the time but later you will wish you would have studied harder. Never give up; it's never too late to turn things around. Do your work ahead of time even if you know you have time to do it later. It is better to have free time than to be rushed and not do your best work.

Niaela

The advice that I would give myself would be education is not a game. When I was in high school I did not take my education serious. I would of been more focus then every becasue you need all the knowledge that you can get. Plus high school is preparing you for the college world. I would have decided on what I wanted to do in life, I did not decide what I wanted to do until I got in the 12th grade. But it was all to late for me to go back and try to take all the classes that I needed. So I had to work harder in college to teach myself what I should have learned when I was in high school. It is a lesson learned and I would advise other high schoolers to stay focus becasue your education is important.

Shahee

You had a 3.2 as a high school seior. From your freshman to your junior year you made outstanding grades. Don't fool around your senior yar. I know you love the thought of this being your last year of high school but you have to finish strong. Don't show up to class just to talk and not do any work. Continue to work hard to the end because good grades and a good gpa, will give you a better oppurtunity for a lot of scholarships for college because loans can be a serious depression.

Whitney

If I could go back and talk to my high school self I would give my self advice about foorming good study habits. In high school I never studied and I still did above average, But when i got to college it was a whole other ball game. In college studying is absolutely necessary in order to pass the classes. Some other advice I would give myself would be to learn to be more responsible when it coems to getting up and going to class. In college its very easy to just lay in bed and not go to class, unlike high school where you have someone demanding you to go to class. Lastly I would warn myself about the different atmosphere that comes with college. I would tell myself to be more prepared to be treated like an adult.

Adina

always remember to stay focused

Alejandra

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school student, I would have told myself to take more AP courses. That way I would be better equipped to deal with college life and the stress that comes along with it. Currently I’m doing pretty well but I have to give credit to my two AP professors who took it upon themselves to educate me and push me to reach new heights. Without their help and guidance I don't know if I would be as comfortable with the professors I have today if it wasn't for both my AP English Comp and AP Literature teacher’s high expectations. In fact, compared to my college professors those AP courses were murder. So again, if I had the ability to travel back in time to meet my highs school self, I would have convinced myself to take more challenging AP courses because in the long run I will benefit from the experience.

chancia

I would definately tell mself to work harder to get better grades. Now that i am in college i can see that grades are what keeps a great GPA, which brings in scholarships. If companies see that my GPA is low, they wouldautomatically assume that i am not a hard working student. Because of that i wouldn't get a scholarship because they will fear that the money will be wasted on someone who isn't goint to use it the way they should. Having better grades now pays off with scholarships and even internships. Even tough a GPA is low, it doesn't always neccessarly mean that a person is not hard smart, they may just be slacking and not working like they are suppose to. That is exactly what i was doing in high school. Now i know that working hard will definately pay off in the future.

Tia

I would tell myself to be careful who you pick as your friends and never to go out at night alone. Stay focus in the books. Yes partying is fun, but getting good grades is more rewarding. You don't have to be popular because when you graduate, your job not going to look to see if you was popular they going to look at your grades. Also, never take the easy way out.Don't worry about being in a relationship, some guys in college just want to party right now. Keep a smile on your face, and stay active. Never change for anyone. Learn how to budget your money, don't shop a lot. When great opportunity's come don't be scared to take them. If the opportunity is going to better your life and career go head don't hold back. Stay away from the negative and stay with the postive. Also not let nobody take your smile away.

Robin

If I had the opportunity to go back in to talk to myself, as a high school student, I would warn myself of the culture shock that I would experience. I would advise myself about work and school balance, procrastinating with work, and the many different influences’. When in high school it seem easy to balance work and school; however, in college it is not as simple to balance the two, because it takes more daily planning to allow everything to equal out. During high school, I did my share of procrastinating in getting my papers and projects done, but in college I have to get everything completed well before it is due, because waiting until the last minute will not result in the best grade. If I were able to step back into time, I would advise myself about the many different influences that lurk around the campus, both good and bad, and of how I could tell the difference. If I had more prior knowledge about college life my transition, from high school to college, could have been easier.

Jynessa

Dear High School Self,

Charleen

I would tell myself to stay focused and tyo contuinue on the track that I am on, to become successful one day.

LaShaundria

If I could go back in time to when I was in high school, I would have listened to my parents when they told me to take things seriously. I would have put forth a lot more effort when it came to my school work because after I graduated I could have been a whole lot further with my education. When i graduated from high school instead of taking the route of working, I would have went straight to college instead of waiting. My parents told me that it was going to be a lot harder trying to get back into the swing of things but i was very persistant about taking a break. I got a great job working for the state but I realized that I wanted so much more out of life and by working that job I wasnt reaching my highest potiental. So I knew that i wanted to work in the medical field but just wasnt sure exactly what I wanted to do. So I did a little research and decided on Radiology. I just wish I would have done a little more research as far as schools because the short mods arent enough.

amanda

Knowing what i know now about college I would have taken more effort and set aside more time for studying everyday. I would tell myself to take things slow and learn the material longterm as opposed to just learning material for a test. I would also tell myself to follow my own dreams instead of trying to please other people by being what everyone else wants me to be. I would tell my former self to work on saving money and getting scholarships so that being a full time worker, student , and mom wouldn't be so hard for me.

Laura

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a highschool senior I would tell myself to work harder in every aspect of my life. I wuold tell myself not to worry so much about guys because the right one will come along. I would tell myself to get good grades and do extra curricular activities because they are essential for me to get into a good college. I would tell myself to study for the SATS because if I dont I will have to retake them several times. I will tell myself to go straight to college and not take a semester off to "have fun" because it just ends up being a waste of time. I will tell myself to work hard when I am young because it will pay off when I am older.

Denise

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a student there would be a few things I would need to say. Knowing what I know now I would not have waited so long to attend a college. Starting this late adds to the struggles of being a single parent and trying to work a full time job while attending school full time as well. Now with that said, I love where I am at life. My son is my world. If I would have changed things he might not be here today. I am getting married in March and that might not of been in my furture depending on how things change. Even with the ups and downs of life I would not have it any other way. I know there are some things I could have changed to better myself sooner, but I wouldnt want to say anything to myself to change the path I am on now and how I got here.

Lateasha

If I had the opportunity to go back in time to talk to myself, this is what I would say: Hello, self. I'm you in the future. Don't be alarmed, but there is important information that I must share with you about your future. As you embark on your journey of adulthood, there are a couple things that you must know. Number One: make sure you stay focused while at college. Don't let the fact that you don't have many friends affect your ability to excel in school. Study hard, work hard and play later. There is plenty of time in the future for friends. Focusing on school is the most important thing. Number Two: make sure you don't pass up any opportunities that come along the way. Life is about taking risks. Learn this now to avoid missing out. Be a little more open minded and take chances...that is all. Remember, if you stay in school then everything else in your life will fall into place. Good Luck!

Chelsea

The most important advice that could possibly be given to myself as a high school senior would be to live in the moment. Too much of high school was spent planning everything out expecting it to be perfect, including college. When circumstances changed, all I was left with was a slew of plans that did not have heart in them. To live in the moment ensures that decisions are made with a bit more self interest at heart, not in a selfish manner, but in one that recognizes that only you have to live with your choices in the end. That single shard of advice would have meant that more choices be made with passion and genuine interest rather than trends or what colleges would receive the most applause from relatives. A college that is a right fit should reflect the student just as the student is a representative of the values of the institution.

Kia

Dear Kia, I know that this is your senior year, but don't let your guard down so easily. I mean you've come so far for you to turn back now. Stay focused, stay motivated and realize that high school is not just something to do, but it's an open pathway to your future endevours. Yes, this might look like a trying year for you; however if you stay focused at the task at hand then you will be sure to succeed. In closing, remember in order to succeed in life, you have to do the things that you don't want to do, in order to get to do the things you want to do.

Javonte

If i could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school student I would tell myself to remain focus at all times, attend all classes. Don't fall for peer pressure and attending every party is not madatory! Study more, party less! Get to know you professors personally and always turn in your work on time. In order to make friends you have to socialize with others, get out and make friends. Manage your money wisely and lastly, DO NOT PROCRASTINATE.

Gregory

If I could go back in time and speak with my high school self, I would tell him that planning is the key to success. That every move you make should be well thought out and always have a backup plan. Finally, I would tell him to always maintain communication with your advisor because that is crucial to your success as a student. Then I would look myself in the eyes and say “Good luck I know you can do it."

Josh

I would tell myself to apply for as many scholorships before I got into college rather than waiting until I was already in college. I would also tell myself to keep up with everything, stay on track with going to school and make sure everything is done earlier rather than later.

DaVonte'

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would definitely convince myself to apply for school much earlier than I did, and apply to ALL the schools I wanted to go. And also advise myself to apply for all the scholarships that I qualify for. Even though, I am currently not paying a lot out of pocket for school it still would be really nice if I could go to school and wouldn’t have to worry about paying for it. I would tell myself about dorm life and how you can make that experience really fun for yourself or really miserable for yourself. And finally I would advise myself to get really acquainted and comfortable with all my professors and if I ever need help or any questions about my work, visit them during their office hours, it makes you look really good as a student.

Jedidiah

well I would advice myself to continue to work hard and take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way. Remeber that not all opportunites lost can be regained.

Diamonique

I would tell my high school self to break the habit of procrstination and develop better study and critical reading skills. These have the main problems that I have struggled with so far in college. I would also tell my self to keep more money in my bank account than I did because the scholarships do not pay for everything.

Chelsey

Work out hard in your athletics because college sports are no joke. Take time to study even harder because it is very time managing to keep grades up while tryin to practice. Always keep a open mind because you will run in to a lot of different people from a lot of different backgrounds that you may not be use to.

Kelsey

If I could go back to high school I would tell myself to study hard and to do my best. Once you are out of high school, making it on your own is near impossible if you have no interest of direction. The transition was hard enough as it is to leave your friends and family for school. If you have a positive attitude in life you can truly complete anything. Do your best and give it your all and you will be satisfied.

Justin

If i could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior about the transition into college, the number one piece of advice i would give myself would be to stay organized. Without organization throughout college, you can quickly spiral into an abyss of falling behind in school and extra stress. Always plan out your days around class and homework that needs to be done, whether it is due tomorrow or in two weeks. This will help minimize procrastination that eventually leads to the infamous college "all-nighters". I would tell myself that there is no dumb question in the classroom, and to never be afraid to confront my professors with any issues i am having with their classwork. The last thing i would tell myself is that college is not all about going to class, writing papers and taking exams, and that it is okay to have a little fun. College will likely produce some of the moments you tell your grandchildren about. It will be up to you to blance how much fun you have, with the schoolwork you must complete in order to graduate and become a successful person in today's society.

Brandi

As a High School Senior, I would of told myself to study for the ACT and apply for every scholarship available because every little thing counts.

brittany

Knowing what i know now i woulkd tell my self many things.First i would tell my self to relax and focus.Secound to save money and learn how to get around the campus so i wont get lost.Finally, i would tell myself to use all my recorces avaliable to me.

James

I would know how to better manage my schedule. I would also retake the SAT a couple more times and apply to more colleges and more scholarships.

Denise

To just focus on the work and not to let things distract me. To do my school work first and then have fun and most importantly never give up and always ask questions if I don't understand and if I have a special case talk to the teacher because they are they to help.

Laura

I graduated from high school in 1976. If I could go back to then, I would have furthered my education then. I believe that Social Work is a calling, and takes someone who can be empathic, while at the same time, be firm when it comes to the environment in which we live.

Stephanie

Pace yourself! As a high school senior I was always running around applying to a bunch of different schools and scholarship foundations that I wore myself out. I got in to the schools I was aiming for, but I did not get enough scholarships to attend. I should have made a list of the scholarships I had applied for, work according to their deadlines and use every opportunity I had to revise my essays. I applied for so many in such little time that sometimes I forgot to check the small box that says "I agree", which disqualified me from those scholarship contests. Hopefully I can be a bit more wise and have enough money to attend a private university soon!

Alexus

I would say not to worry about boys and focus more in my first year. Pay more attention in my senior year of high school and actually learn the information instead of memorizing it. Take better notes. Get more socially active with good smart friends in my first year and not hang around one person all year.

andrew

Be responsable! The expectation level in college is a lot higher compared to High school. I would also tell myself that college is fun, and very exciting, but it's extremely hard, and not to give up, but keep trying your hardest. And in some way or another, something or someone will help you with the needs you may be seeking.

Paris

I would tell myself to stay focused on my studies. In college it is easy to get distracted by everything thats going on. Make sure you work hard, and get to know your professors, they are there to help you. Also there will always be a party, so don't go to one right before a test. These four years will be over before you know it, so grow up.

Leisa

You should always pay attention in class. You should take the oportunity to take college classes if you are able to. Stay at home with mom as long as you can and save as much money as you can. Dont worry about everyone you go to school with you wont be friends with any of them later anyway. Start college as soon as you graduate.

Courtney

Talking to myself in high school would create quite a difference in my current life. Seeing as though I rarely regret actions, instead of giving my past self advice on how to "survive" my next exciting chapters of my life, I would prefer to watch and observe from a distance how my past self experiences these new endeavors. This way, my present self has the ability to learn from mistakes and create an even more wonderful and exciting future so I can succeed in other chapters I intend on pursuing. I would love to partake in an adventure such as that. This also includes seeing the future me and observing in the same light. I would not want to change anything, just relax and observe what a beautiful creature I am, and to be the most positive person I can be.

Marlyn

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self I’d encourage her to take some college classes her senior year because the classes would be free and that she’d be getting a head start on her GE classes. I’d also tell her to get a job to save up for some college materials and apply for financial aid and scholarships just so she can be more independent and learn the responsibilities involving money. Knowing that she’d focus on getting her degree as a healthcare professional, I’d recommend her to volunteer at hospitals and clinics just to get experience, create network, and get a feel of what health care professions there are. Another thing, I’d also tell her to take college courses more seriously but still have some time to have fun. College is not a race against anyone, it is a place to grow up, find yourself, learn, and explore new possibilities. So, if you make mistakes don’t be too hard on yourself just fix it because I believe in you!!

Andreka

I would see go with what best is for your future. Think about your financial state and mental state. You only get so many chances, so use them wisely.

Jessica

I would advice myself to believe in myself and live for me and not anyone else. make decisions based on what i want to do and not what others want me to do. Follow your dreams and hold your grounds. stand out and be a leader not a follower. be yourself and never let others make a decision for you

Danielle

The advice I would give myself would be to stay focus and think about the future. Some people get in college and get side tracked and lose focus like I did, but after having a reality check I got back focused. Every once in awhile you may mess up or fail a class but I will tell myself not to give up and to keep going.